SLOW PROGRESS 197 



windward both of the doubtful Emerald Island and of 

 the authentic JNIacquarie group to the north of it. 

 It may be mentioned in passing, that at the time we 

 went by, the most southerly wireless telegraphy station 

 in the world was located on one of the Macquarie 

 Islands. The installation belonged to Dr. Mawson's 

 Antarctic expedition. Dr. Mawson also took with him 

 apparatus for installing a station on the Antarctic Con- 

 tinent itself, but, so far as is known, no connection was 

 accomplished the first year. 



During this fortunate run we had come so far to the 

 west that our course to Hobart was rapidly approaching 

 true north. On the other hand, we should have liked 

 to be able to take advantage of the prevailing winds, 

 — the westerlies. These vary little from one year to 

 another, and we found them much the same as we had 

 been accustomed to before : frequent, stiff breezes from 

 the north-west, which generally held for about twelve 

 hours, and then veered to west or south-west. So long 

 as the north-wester was blowing, there was nothing to 

 do but to He to with shortened sail; when the change 

 of wind came, we made a few hours' progress in the 

 right direction. In this way we crept step by step 

 northward to our destination. It was slow enough, no 

 doubt; but every day the line of our course on the 

 chart grew a Httle longer, and towards the end of 

 February the distance between us and the southern point 

 of Tasmania had shrunk to very modest dimensions. 



